The National Council discusses the situation with drug trafficking in Azerbaijan

On July 30 the  National Council of Democratic Forces of Azerbaijan (NCDF) held at the press center of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS)  hearings on drug trafficking situation. Hearings were  due to the arrest on 11 July  at the Georgian customs nearly three tons of heroin arriving from Azerbaijan.

 The  National Council demanded an answer to the question of the government agencies involved in drug trafficking, which has not yet commented on the fact of trafficking heroin. Chairman of the National Council, Jamil Hasanli, called drug trafficking "a national tragedy." "When I was a member of parliament, I was able to get acquainted with the private data on drug abuse in the country, which showed that 35% had been convicted of the consumption, possession and drug trafficking,"  he said.

Director of Turan news  agency, Mehman Aliyev, in his report noted that the first study of drug trafficking was held in 2006, when  on the charges of possession and consumption of drugs was arrested a journalist Mirza Sakit. "There were no open international statistics on Azerbaijan, but relying on data from the CIA, FSB and other secret  structures  on the  routes and drug production in Afghanistan, was noted a figure of about 200 tons. Just this amount  of drug passes through Azerbaijan a year," he said.

According to official data of the  UN Office on Drugs and Criminality, for the year 2012 through Azerbaijan to Europe and Russia were transported 308 tons of drugs amounting $ 4 billion.

90% of the drugs through Azerbaijan, come from Afghanistan through Iran. Such data  was noted by Guloglan Muradli , the head of the customs violations and combat smuggling of  the State Customs Committee.

"Reports of international organizations show rapid growth of drug addicts in Azerbaijan. On the injecting drug  the country  ranks one of the first  - more than 5% of the population falls into this category, approximately  half a million people. If to take into account that the average Azerbaijani family consists of four people,  then  2 million of the 9 million population  are drug addicted," said Aliyev.

Former police officers who participated in the hearing admitted that government agencies and officials are behind drug trafficking.

A retired police colonel, Mahmud Hajiyev, spoke for the  withdrawal of the  Chief  Directorate to Combat drugs from the Interior Ministry, and supported the creation  of an independent state institution for the fight against drug trafficking, as it is in many countries, including Russia.

Co-founder of the  REAL Movement, Natiq Jafarli spoke on the use of experience in combating drug addiction in  developed countries, where as replacement therapy is allowed  the  use of light  drugs.

According to chairman of the Popular Front Party Ali Kerimli, combat drug trafficking requires the participation of the whole society. "No one can stay away from this tragedy, as in every fifth families  there is a drug addicts, and their number is growing rapidly,"  he said.

"Strengthening the international fight against drug trafficking creates some hope, and society necessitates cooperation with international organizations in this field, said Aliyev. - I think that the detention of  heroine at  the Georgian customs is the result of an international operation. Reports on drug trafficking in  the  following years will show how the international community  is categorical in this fight." -0 –